What it's like to be a Griz

I'm writing this blog mainly to keep my family and friends updated on all that is going on in my life at the moment.  After an incredibly long two years of many ups and down, many lonely days stuck at home, and many times when i wished that something would happen just so i could feel like i was living my life, i was finally able to spread my wings, leave the nest and really test my own strength.  

On Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 i left with my parents and a car load of all of my necessary belongings for the wonderfully spectacular and breath taking state of Montana, where i was just days away from staring my new life as a University of Montana Grizzly.  We were on the road by 5am, and had made it to the wonderful city of Missoula, Montana by 2pm.  

I knew Missoula was an incredible place before i moved here, but after living in here for several weeks, i have completely fallen in love.  Missoula is the perfect place for anybody who is looking for that small town feel of community mixed with beautiful mountains surrounding every side and filled with some of the nicest people I've ever met.  I can't imagine a more storybook-like place to live.

I spent my first few days on campus moving into my dorm room in Craig Hall(which just so happens to have the biggest rooms on campus) and waiting for my roommate who was driving from Helena, MT to arrive.

My first week of classes and work at the Cascade Country Store on campus seemed to take an entire month to pass.  I was frantically running around from one activity to another, from youth group to an equestrian team meeting, to lunch dates with friends to study sessions in my dorm.  Since I'd been so used to having free time and doing school work when i felt like it, it was a rough transition during that first week.  

Most people that I've shared this next piece of information with have seemed very surprised, but i hope everyone can keep an open mind :).  I had a conversation with my roommate and several other girls on campus that i had met about the upcoming recruitment week for sororities.  I was very anti-sorority before coming to UM.  I would have laughed at anyone who would have told me i would enjoy living with a bunch of other girls who were all concerned about makeup and clothes and boys.  I probably would have made fun of you behind your back(just kidding!).  

I made a promise to myself though that as long as i was moving some 500 miles away from home, that i would at least try everything that i possibly could.  That's what college is all about, right?  So during my second week of school, i went through Rush week for the 4 sororities on campus.  For anyone what isn't familiar with the process of joining a sorority, it involves 4 days of activities.  The first night is just a large open house of the houses where you get to meet with some of the girls and get a better idea of what life in a sorority is like.  The second night is house tours, where based on your top 3 choices from the previous night, you get to tour up to 3 houses.  The third night is called preference night, where based on your top 1-2 choices and if those houses also chose you, you go to 1-2 houses to get to know the house better and meet more of the active members living in the house.
The fourth and final day of Rush week is called bid day, where after ranking your top choices, the houses all decide who they want in their house and write each girl that they would like to be a member of their sorority a bid that invites them to join their sorority.  The 200 or so girls going through Rush week met in the middle of the football stadium where we all opened our bid cards at the same time and prededed to take pictures and bond with the members of our house.  I had my first experience with a 30+ girl sleep over and had a great time.

By this time in the process, i had fallen in love with UM's Greek Life.  Forget everything that you've heard about or read about when it comes to sororities.  In  Montana, the entire idea of sororities is all about sisterhood and having a family away from home.  These girls become your family and the people who turn to when you've had a bad day.  They're the people that you come home to and complain endlessly about how you hate your science teacher.  They're the girls that you celebrate birthdays and special occasions and accomplishments with.  

Just like Michael Scott from The Office, i too have an unusual obsession with the concept of family, which i believe is the reason i have fallen in love with my new sorority house.  

I am now a new member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority house of the University of Montana.  This past Wednesday i moved into this gorgeous house and have enjoyed every second i have spent with my new sisters. :)

I'm loving every second of my new life, but I'm also missing everyone that i left back in Washington.  I'm thankful for Skype and text messaging and instant messaging...without these, i think I'd be a complete wreck demanding that my parents get me on the next flight back home.  It's getting easier everyday to realize that whether it feels real or not, this is my new reality.

I'm not sure what these next few weeks will hold for me now that i'm living off campus in a sorority and several weeks into my classes, but if this next month has been anything like my first month here, anything is possible.

                                           ♥ KKΓ ♥